the end

(spoiler alert in case you were under a rock when the final episode of The Sopranos aired last night)

David Chase is effen brilliant. I don't care what anyone says. Those final minutes of suspense were classic. My heart was racing when Tony sat down in the diner and those suspicious looking guys kept eyeing him from the bar. Then Meadow couldn't park her car. And what was up with that cat?! Damn.

The family meets as this uber-American diner. Journey blasts from the speakers. And then, total blackout. Way to anticlimax Dave. As one who hates neat and tidy endings, I love that Chase honored our intelligence and fidelity to the show by leaving us with a conclusion we can think and talk about for years to come. Check out other discussions of The Sopranos finale in the Times and Salon.